Method for detecting sour odor from air conditioner, reproducing sour odor and preparing corresponding sour odor composition

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein is a method for identifying compounds contributing to a sour odor emitting from an air conditioner, a method for artificially reproducing the detected sour odor and preparing a corresponding sour odor composition. Through the analysis method of the present invention, the compounds contributing to the sour odor emitted from an air conditioner may be identified and quantified. The detected sour odor may be reproduced from a combination of the compounds identified by the analysis method of the present invention. The reproduced sour odor may provide meaningful data required for development of an apparatus and a method for removing specific odors.

CROSS-REFERENCE

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Korean PatentApplication No. 10-2012-0106656, filed on Sep. 25, 2012, the disclosureof which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method for detecting a combination ofcompounds contributing to sour odor from an air conditioner, a methodfor reproducing the sour odor and preparing a corresponding sour odorcomposition.

2. Description of the Related Art

Clean air is an essential element to help humans stay in good health andmaintain their well-beings. Two important factors that lead tounsatisfactory indoor air quality in an airtight building are: thebuilding itself producing a substantial amount of air pollutants thatneed to be removed or diluted; and odor generated as a result of humanactivities.

An air-cooling system lowers indoor temperature and optimizes indoorenvironment through air conditioning, which changes air temperature,humidity, flow and cleanliness to more favorable conditions.Increasingly, air-cooling systems are being used to improve the standardof living. Although the air-cooling systems have been improvedfunctionally over time, there remain problems to be solved in terms ofindoor air quality. In the past, the function of lowering indoortemperature was viewed as one of the most fundamental and importantfunctions of the air-cooling system. However, currently, health-relatedaspects such as indoor air quality and odor are also regarded asimportant functions of air-cooling systems. In particular, complaintsregarding indoor air quality include offensive odor such as sour odor,foul odor, foot odor, and the like. To solve the odor problem, it may benecessary to analyze the odor-causing substances and understand thefundamental cause of the odor.

Although it is known that metabolites produced by fungi and bacteria arethe cause of odor from an air conditioner, it is clearly not known whatmetabolites are produced and in what amount by the fungi and bacteria.Additionally, since it is unclear specifically what compounds cause theoffensive odor, it may be necessary to understand the type of compoundswhich contribute to the sour odor from the air conditioner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Numerous complaints are commonly made regarding various offensive odorsfrom an air conditioner (e.g., more than 20 kinds including musty odor).The present invention discloses a method for identifying the compoundscontributing to the sour odor emitted from an air conditioner,collecting offensive-smelling gas from an automobile, and developing amethod for artificially reproducing the sour odor. The present inventionprovides a method for detecting the compounds contributing to sour odorfrom an air conditioner from among various offensive odors emitted fromthe air conditioner.

The present invention also discloses a method for identifying thecompounds contributing to sour odor from emitted an air conditioner fromamong various offensive odors emitted from the air conditioner andartificially reproducing the sour odor using the identified chemicalcompounds. Additionally, the present invention discloses a method ofpreparing a sour odor composition. The sour odor composition may also beapplicable to any applications where sour odor is emitted, in additionto the air conditioner.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a sour odorcomposition from an air conditioner comprising one or more compoundsselected from a group consisting of ammonia, acetaldehyde,propionaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, toluene, xylene and methyl ethylketone.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a sour odorcomposition from an air conditioner comprising ammonia, acetaldehyde,propionaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, toluene, xylene and methyl ethylketone.

In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a method foranalyzing the compounds contributing to sour odor from an airconditioner, including the steps of (i) collecting a gas emitted from anair conditioner; and (ii) analyzing the components of the gas.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for preparinga sour odor composition from an air conditioner, comprising mixing twoor more compounds selected from a group consisting of ammonia,acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, toluene, xylene andmethyl ethyl ketone.

Other features and aspects of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following detailed description and the accompanying drawingsand claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will now be more clearly understood from the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingwhich are given hereinbelow by way of illustration only, and thus arenot limitative of the invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exemplary flow chart describing a method for analyzing thecompounds contributing to sour odor according to an exemplary embodimentof the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, reference will be made in detail to various embodiments ofthe present invention, examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and described below. While the invention will bedescribed in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it will beunderstood that the present description is not intended to limit theinvention to those exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the inventionis intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but alsovarious alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments,which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined by the accompanying claims.

In one embodiment, the present invention provides a detected sourcomposition from an air conditioner having at least one or more of thefollowing compounds: ammonia, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde,n-butyraldehyde, toluene, xylene and methyl ethyl ketone.

More specifically, the present invention provides a detected sour odorcomposition from an air conditioner including ammonia, acetaldehyde,propionaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, toluene, xylene and methyl ethylketone.

The sour odor composition from an air conditioner may include:

0.1-2 ppm of ammonia;

0.002-0.1 ppm of acetaldehyde;

0.0001-0.1 ppm of propionaldehyde;

0.0003-0.03 ppm of n-butyraldehyde;

0.03-30 ppm of toluene;

0.001-2 ppm of xylene; and

0.003-7 ppm of methyl ethyl ketone.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the detected sourodor composition may further comprise one or more compound selected froma group consisting of formaldehyde, hexane, N-phenylbenzenamine, phenol,2-phenyl-2propanol, benzene and benzothiazole.

Specifically, the sour odor composition may include:

0.00002-0.009 ppm of formaldehyde;

0.007-0.04 ppm of hexane;

0.001-0.4 ppm of N-phenylbenzenamine;

0.003-0.6 ppm of phenol;

0.001-0.2 ppm of 2-phenyl-2propanol;

0.001-0.2 ppm of benzene; and

0.001-0.1 ppm of benzothiazole.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method foranalyzing the compounds contributing to sour odor from an airconditioner. The method includes the steps of (i) collecting a gasemitted from an air conditioner and (ii) analyzing the components of thegas.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for analyzingthe compounds contributing to sour odor from an air conditioner andreproducing the sour odor. The method includes the steps of: evaluatingoffensive odor; collecting a gas emitted from an air conditioner;analyzing the components of the collected gas; classifying thecomponents; reproducing compositions; performing a multiple test (e.g.,for at least 5 panelists); selecting the representative composition; andcompleting the reproduction of the sour odor composition.

FIG. 1 is an exemplary flow chart describing the method for analyzingthe compounds contributing to sour odor and reproducing the sour odor.

The sour odor from an air conditioner of the present invention may befrom an air conditioner in any environment including building,automobile, van, bus, etc. More specifically, the air conditioner may bean air conditioner used in an automobile, van or bus.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the gas in step(ii) may comprise ammonia, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde,n-butyraldehyde, toluene, xylene and methyl ethyl ketone. Theconcentration of the ammonia, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde,n-butyraldehyde, toluene, xylene and methyl ethyl ketone that contributeto the sour odor may be measured. Additionally, the concentration of oneor more compound selected from a group consisting of formaldehyde,hexane, N-phenylbenzenamine, phenol, 2-phenyl-2propanol, benzene andbenzothiazole in the sour odor composition may be measured. The analysisof the components in step (ii) may be performed by gaschromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), gas chromatography with atomicemission detector (GC/AED), gas chromatography/flame ionizationdetection/olfactometry (GC/FID/olfactometry) or high-performance liquidchromatography (HPLC), but is not limited thereto.

Representative examples of the analysis method of the present inventionare described hereinbelow. However, the analysis method of the presentinvention is not limited thereto.

Gas Chromatography

In gas-solid chromatography (GSC), an adsorbent solid powder may be usedas the stationary phase. In addition, in gas-liquid chromatography(GLC), a liquid stationary phase coated on a solid support may be used.

A carrier gas maintained at a constant flow rate may be supplied from asample injection device into a separation column via a pretreatmentapparatus and may be discharged after passing through a detector. Thepretreatment apparatus, the sample injection device, the column and thedetector may be maintained at required temperatures.

When a gas or a liquid is introduced into the sample injection device,the gas may be carried into the column by the carrier gas and the liquidmay be carried into the column by the carrier gas after being heated andevaporated. The components of the sample may be separated in theseparation column based on difference in absorption or solubility andmay sequentially pass through a mass analyzer disposed at the outlet ofthe separation column.

The time between the injection of the sample into the separation columnand a peak occurrence, as a result of detection of a specific componentincluded therein, may be called retention time. Additionally, theretention time multiplied by the flow rate of the carrier gas may becalled retention volume. Qualitative analysis may be performed on theprocess since the values of the retention time and volume may bedifferent for different components under given experimental conditions.Furthermore, quantitative analysis may be conducted since the peak areaor height may be related to the amount of the corresponding componentpresent.

Electron ionization is a conventionally used ionization technique.Neutral sample molecules in gas state are bombarded with high-speedelectrons to detach electrons and form molecular ions (cations, M⁺). Theminimum energy required to produce the molecular ion (M+) from theneutral molecule (M) is called ionization energy (IE). The ionizationenergy of an organic compound is 8-12 eV (800-1200 kJ/mol⁻¹).

M+e ⁻→M⁺+2e ⁻

Among the produced molecular ions, those with high internal energy arefragmented to form fragment ions.

To prevent ion formation due to reaction between the produced ion andthe neutral molecule, the pressure inside the ionization source shouldbe maintained at 10⁻⁵ torr or lower.

Electron beams emitted from a filament may be accelerated to 70 eV toobtain standard mass spectrums since they provide high ionizationefficiency with little change in mass spectrum. The mass spectrum is therecording of the mass-to-charge ratio (m/z) of the molecular ions andthe fragment ions. The mass spectrum of the unknown sample may becompared with the stored standard mass spectrums to identify thesubstance.

Electric fields and magnetic fields may be utilized alone or incombination to separate the ions according to their mass-to-chargeratio. A sector field analyzer, a quadruple mass analyzer, an ion trap,a time-of-flight analyzer, and the like may be used as a mass analyzer.

High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)

The HPLC method may be utilized to separate nonvolatile substances whichmay be difficult to analyze by gas chromatography based on theirdifference in physicochemical interactions with a stationary phase and aliquid mobile phase. This method may be used for qualitative andquantitative analysis of aldehydes in the air. Additionally, in HPLC,the target substances may be separated in the separation column based ontheir difference in reactivity with the stationary phase and the mobilephase.

When HPLC is employed for analysis of aldehydes existing in the air, aseparation column in which a nonpolar stationary phase is chemicallybonded to a support may be used. Separation may be achieved depending ondifference in reactivity and solubility for the mobile phase and thestationary phase. In general, the method wherein a column containing anonpolar stationary phase is used and a relatively polar sample eluentis used to separate target substances is called reversed-phase HPLC.

The material of the tubing in the HPLC method may be stainless steel,PTFE, PEEK, glass, or a similar material. Generally, stainless steel maybe preferable. Stainless steel may be advantageous due to beingresistant to oxidation and corrosion. However, acid may cause damage andcontamination to the tubing. Thus, when stainless steel is used, thetubing should be washed with distilled water after use.

Most often, an HPLC detector capable of measuring absorption in theUV-visible region may be used. When light of a particular wavelength isemitted from a light source on the sample in the cell of the UV-visibledetector, it may be absorbed by the sample. The detector may generate anelectrical signal corresponding to the light absorbance, thus allowingquantitative analysis of the sample.

Hereinafter, the method for detecting the components contributing tosour odor according to the present invention is described. However, theapplication of the method is not limited to the described components.

Detection of Ammonia

The concentration of ammonia in the air may be measured as follows.After adding a phenol-sodium nitroprusside solution and a sodiumhypochlorite solution to a sample solution to be analyzed, ammonia maybe analyzed by measuring absorbance of indophenols formed from reactionwith ammonium ion.

Detection of Methyl Mercaptan, Hydrogen Sulfide, Dimethyl Sulfide andDimethyl Disulfide

The concentration of the sulfur compounds in the air may be measured asfollows.

After sampling using a sample bag, analysis may be carried out by coldtrap-capillary GC and cold trap-packed column GC.

Cold Trap-Capillary GC and Cold Trap-Packed Column GC

The sulfur compound sample collected in the sample bag may beconcentrated in a cold trap device, which may be maintained at −183° C.or below using a refrigerant and may be analyzed by GC after desorption.The measurement procedure may consist of sampling, concentration andsample injection to the separation column. A flame photometric detector(FPD), a pulsed flame photometric detector (PFPD), an atomic emissiondetector (AED), a sulfur chemiluminescence detector (SCD), a massspectrometer (MS), and the like capable of selectively detecting traceamount of sulfur compounds with good linearity may be used as adetector.

Electronic Device Cooling Cold Trap-Capillary GC

Sulfur compounds existing in the sample may be concentrated at lowtemperature using a cold trap, desorbed at moderate temperature, andtransferred into a syringe pump by the pressure of a carrier gas. Thedesorption may occur at moderate-to-low temperatures (e.g., 100° C. orlower). The concentrated sample transferred to the syringe pump may beinjected into the separation column and analyzed by the detector. Thecold-trapped sample may also be thermally desorbed and injected into theseparation column.

Detection of Triethylamine

The concentration of triethylamine in the air may be measured asfollows. After sampling using an impinger and acidic filter paper,analysis may be carried out by cold trap-packed column GC andheadspace-capillary column GC.

Detection of Acetaldehyde, Propionaldehyde, Butyraldehyde,n-Valeraldehyde and Isovaleraldehyde

For simultaneous measurement of the concentration of acetaldehyde,propionaldehyde, butyraldehyde, n-valeraldehyde and isovaleraldehydecontributing to offensive odor, 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone (DNPH)derivatives of the aldehyde compounds may be formed and analyzed by HPLCand GC.

Dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) Derivatization and HPLC/UV

DNPH derivatives formed by reacting carbonyl compounds with 2,4-DNPH maybe extracted with an acetonitrile solvent and analyzed by HPLC using aUV detector at 360 nm wavelength.

DNPH Derivatization and GC

DNPH derivatives formed by reacting carbonyl compounds with 2,4-DNPH maybe extracted with an acetonitrile solvent and analyzed by GC afterchanging the solvent to ethyl acetate.

HPLC Instrument

The HPLC instrument for sample analysis may consist of a sampleinjection device, a pump, a separation column and a detector (UVdetector). The separation column may be a reversed-phase column (ODScolumn) to which a nonpolar adsorbent is coated allowing control of themobile phase solvent according to the mixing ratio. The sample loop ofthe injection device may be 20-100 mL depending on the sampleconcentration.

GC Instruments

A capillary separation column may be used for GC, and a flame ionizationdetector (FID), a nitrogen phosphorus detector (NPD) or a massspectrometer may be used as the detector.

Detection of Styrene

Styrene may be sampled at the site boundary. After sampling, using asolid sorbent tube, a canister or a sample bag, analysis may be carriedout by cold trap-GC and solid-phase microextraction (SPME)-GC.

Detection of Toluene, Xylene, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Methyl IsobutylKetone, Butyl Acetate, Styrene and Isobutyl Alcohol

The concentration of toluene, xylene, methyl ethyl ketone, methylisobutyl ketone, butyl acetate, styrene and isobutyl alcohol, which arevolatile compounds contributing to offensive odors, in the air may bemeasured at once as follows.

Toluene, xylene, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, butylacetate, styrene and isobutyl alcohol may be specified offensive odorsubstances. Sampling may be performed at the site boundary. The samplecollected using a solid sorbent tube may be analyzed by GC after coldtrapping and thermal desorption.

Detection of Propionic Acid, n-Butyric Acid, n-Valeric Acid andIsovaleric Acid

The concentration of the organic acids in the air may be measured asfollows. After sampling using an alkaline-impregnated filter or byalkaline solution absorption, the collected sample may be pretreated bythe headspace method to evaporate the organic acid components. Then,analysis may be carried out by GC.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method forpreparing a sour odor composition from an air conditioner, includingmixing two or more compounds selected from a group consisting ofammonia, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, toluene, xyleneand methyl ethyl ketone.

In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method forpreparing a sour odor composition from an air conditioner, includingmixing ammonia, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, toluene,xylene and methyl ethyl ketone.

In yet another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the methodfor preparing a sour odor composition from an air conditioner mayinclude mixing one or more compound selected from a group consisting offormaldehyde, hexane, N-phenylbenzenamine, phenol, 2-phenyl-2propanol,benzene and benzothiazole.

In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method forpreparing a sour odor composition from an air conditioner according tothe present invention may include mixing: 0.1-2 ppm of ammonia;0.002-0.1 ppm of acetaldehyde; 0.0001-0.1 ppm of propionaldehyde;0.0003-0.03 ppm of n-butyraldehyde; 0.03-30 ppm of toluene; 0.001-2 ppmof xylene; and 0.003-7 ppm of methyl ethyl ketone.

In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the method forpreparing a sour odor composition from an air conditioner according tothe present invention may include mixing: 0.00002-0.009 ppm offormaldehyde; 0.007-0.04 ppm of hexane; 0.001-0.4 ppm ofN-phenylbenzenamine; 0.003-0.6 ppm of phenol; 0.001-0.2 ppm of2-phenyl-2propanol; 0.001-0.2 ppm of benzene; and 0.001-0.1 ppm ofbenzothiazole.

EXAMPLES

The present invention will be described in more detail through examples.The following examples are for illustrative purposes only and it will beapparent to those skilled in the art not that the scope of thisinvention is not limited by the examples.

Example 1 Sensory Test

1) Selection of Car Model

Odor was sampled from the air conditioner of a car model A.

2) Sensory Test Method

i) Three out of the four air conditioner exhausts were sealedhermetically.

ii) For sensory test and gas sampling, the exhaust at the left side ofthe driver's seat was sealed hermetically using a glass tube and a vinylbag.

iii) The air conditioner was operated at level 2 under internalventilation condition.

iv) The panelist was asked to sniff the sample in the glass tube andevaluate the intensity and type of odor.

Table 1 describes the level of odor according to intensity used as thestandard of sensory test and evaluation after preparation of themixtures for reproducing the odor in Examples 3 and 4.

TABLE 1 Odor intensity Level of odor 5 Irritating and intense odor 4Strong odor 3 Weak but easily perceived odor 2 Perceived but slight odor1 Almost unperceived odor 0 No odor

Example 2 Sampling Procedure

1) Selection of Car Model

Sample was taken from the same car as in Example 1.

2) Sampling Method

i) Three out of the four air conditioner exhausts were sealedhermetically.

ii) The exhaust at the left side of the driver's seat was sealedhermetically using a glass tube and a vinyl bag.

iii) The opening of a 10-L PE sample bag was connected to the glasstube.

iv) The air conditioner was operated at level 2 under internalventilation condition and gas sample was taken.

Example 3 Sample Analysis

The sample taken in Example 2 was analyzed by absorptionspectrophotometry, HS-GC/FID, GC/FPD, HPLC/UV, GC/MSD and HS-GC/MS.

Table 2 shows the result of detecting representative compoundscontributing to offensive odor.

TABLE 2 Car model Car model Car model Car model Car model #1 #2 #3 #4 #5Sensory Characteristic Sour odor Leather/sour Sour/plastic Sour/plasticSour odor test odor odor odor Intensity 2-3 2-3 2-3 2-3 3-4 AnalysisAmmonia 0.10   0.03   0.06   0.03   0.03   of Dimethyl ND 0.00003 ND NDND specified disulfide offensive Acetaldehyde 0.00686 0.00412 0.005480.00471 0.00380 odor Styrene ND ND 0.00588 ND ND substancesPropionaldehyde 0.00017 0.00025 0.00022 0.00034 0.00020 (unit:n-Butyraldehyde 0.00045 0.02650 0.00702 0.02344 0.00053 ppm) Toluene0.05865 0.03492 0.04006 0.04931 0.05194 Xylene 0.00151 0.00116 0.001100.00144 0.00143 Methyl ethyl 0.00945 0.01780 0.00364 0.02229 0.02611ketone Methyl ethyl 0.00945 0.01780 0.00364 0.02229 0.02611 ketone

10-mL samples were taken from the car models #1-#5 under the conditionof blower level 2+air conditioner off-on-off.

Example 4 Preparation of Sour Odor Composition

A sour odor composition was prepared by mixing ammonia, acetaldehyde,propionaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, toluene, xylene and methyl ethylketone among the components described in Table 2 and further mixing theadditional components described in Table 3 (car model #1), Table 4 (carmodel #2), Table 5 (car model #3), Table 6 (car model #4) and Table 7(car model #5).

TABLE 3 Final Final concentration volume Temperature Pressure (ppm) (L)(° C.) (mb) Mass (μg) Ammonia 0.1 10 20 1013.25 0.000708394 Acetaldehyde0.00686 10 20 1013.25 0.000125649 Propionaldehyde 0.00017 10 20 1013.254.17946E−06 n-Butyraldehyde 0.00045 10 20 1013.25  1.3527E−05 Toluene0.05865 10 20 1013.25 0.00224765 Xylene 0.00151 10 20 1013.256.67713E−05 Methyl ethyl ketone 0.00945 10 20 1013.25 0.000283406Additional components Benzothiazole 0.01315 10 20 1013.25 0.000739483N-phenylbenzenamine 0.03346 10 20 1013.25 0.002355342 Phenol 0.04813 1020 1013.25 0.001884198 2-Phenyl-2-propanol 0.01602 10 20 1013.250.000907384 Benzene 0.01478 10 20 1013.25 0.000480289 Hexane 0.07896 1020 1013.25 0.028775467 Trimethylsilanol 0.00678 10 20 1013.250.000254502 Formaldehyde 0.00050 10 20 1013.25 6.28305E−06

TABLE 4 Final Final concentration volume Temperature Pressure (ppm) (L)(° C.) (mb) Mass (μg) Ammonia 0.03 10 20 1013.25 0.000212518 Dimethyldisulfide 0.00003 10 20 1013.25 1.29306E−06 Acetaldehyde 0.00412 10 201013.25 7.54589E−05 Propionaldehyde 0.00025 10 20 1013.25 5.94305E−06n-Butyraldehyde 0.02650 10 20 1013.25 0.000794792 Toluene 0.03492 10 201013.25 0.001338242 Xylene 0.00116 10 20 1013.25 5.10059E−05 Methylethyl ketone 0.01780 10 20 1013.25 0.000534 Additional componentsBenzothiazole 0.01439 10 20 1013.25 0.000809206 N-phenylbenzenamine0.01538 10 20 1013.25 0.00108256 Phenol 0.03106 10 20 1013.250.001215752 2-Phenyl-2-propanol 0.01323 10 20 1013.25 0.000749258Benzene 0.01364 10 20 1013.25 0.000443212 2-Pinene 0.01343 10 20 1013.250.000760958 Hexane 0.07180 10 20 1013.25 0.026167709 Trimethylsilanol0.00356 10 20 1013.25 0.000133399 Formaldehyde 0.00085 10 20 1013.251.06674E−05

TABLE 5 Final Final concentration volume Temperature Pressure (ppm) (L)(° C.) (mb) Mass (μg) Ammonia 0.06 10 20 1013.25 0.000425036Acetaldehyde 0.00548 10 20 1013.25 0.000100398 Styrene 0.00588 10 201013.25 0.000254779 Propionaldehyde 0.00022 10 20 1013.25 5.29076E−06n-Butyraldehyde 0.00702 10 20 1013.25 0.000210553 Toluene 0.04006 10 201013.25 0.001535163 Xylene 0.00110 10 20 1013.25 4.85329E−05 Methylethyl ketone 0.00364 10 20 1013.25 0.000109026 Additional componentsBenzothiazole 0.01353 10 20 1013.25 0.000760555 N-phenylbenzenamine0.04373 10 20 1013.25 0.003078221 Phenol 0.06221 10 20 1013.250.002435121 2-Phenyl-2-propanol 0.02080 10 20 1013.25 0.001178031Benzene 0.02348 10 20 1013.25 0.00076281 Ethylbenzene 0.00301 10 201013.25 0.000132948 Hexane 0.06942 10 20 1013.25 0.025300046N,N-dimethylacetamide 0.05830 10 20 1013.25 0.002112775 Trimethylsilanol0.00396 10 20 1013.25 0.000148461 Formaldehyde 0.00083 10 20 1013.251.04051E−05

TABLE 6 Final Final concentration volume Temperature Pressure (ppm) (L)(° C.) (mb) Mass (μg) Ammonia 0.03 10 20 1013.25 0.000212518Acetaldehyde 0.00471 10 20 1013.25 8.63434E−05 Propionaldehyde 0.0003410 20 1013.25 8.28644E−06 n-Butyraldehyde 0.02344 10 20 1013.250.000703042 Toluene 0.04931 10 20 1013.25 0.00188995 Xylene 0.00144 1020 1013.25 6.37684E−05 Methyl ethyl ketone 0.02229 10 20 1013.250.00066864 Additional components Benzothiazole 0.01319 10 20 1013.250.000741522 N-phenylbenzenamine 0.02229 10 20 1013.25 0.001568783 Phenol0.02727 10 20 1013.25 0.001067546 2-Phenyl-2-propanol 0.01482 10 201013.25 0.000839426 Benzene 0.01504 10 20 1013.25 0.000488672 Hexane0.07545 10 20 1013.25 0.027498916 Formaldehyde 0.00087 10 20 1013.251.08423E−05

TABLE 7 Final Final concentration volume Temperature Pressure (ppm) (L)(° C.) (mb) Mass (μg) Ammonia 0.03 10 20 1013.25 0.000212518Acetaldehyde 0.00380 10 20 1013.25 6.96868E−05 Propionaldehyde 0.0002010 20 1013.25 4.80759E−06 n-Butyraldehyde 0.00053 10 20 1013.251.59864E−05 Toluene 0.05194 10 20 1013.25 0.001990518 Xylene 0.00143 1020 1013.25 6.29735E−05 Methyl ethyl ketone 0.02611 10 20 1013.250.000783215 Additional components Benzothiazole 0.01205 10 20 1013.250.000677624 N-phenylbenzenamine 0.01476 10 20 1013.25 0.001039212 Phenol0.03338 10 20 1013.25 0.001306487 2-Phenyl-2-propanol 0.01337 10 201013.25 0.000757335 Benzene 0.01096 10 20 1013.25 0.000356097 Hexane0.09006 10 20 1013.25 0.032821056 Trimethylsilanol 0.06273 10 20 1013.250.002353515 Formaldehyde 0.00028 10 20 1013.25 3.46005E−06

The odor of the samples obtained from the air conditioner of the carmodels #1, #2, #3, #4 and #5 was sour odor, as described in Table 8.

The odor of the sour odor composition prepared from a combination of theaforementioned components was also sour odor of intensity 2-4, similarto that from the air conditioner.

TABLE 8 Car Car Car Car Car model model #1 model #2 model #3 model #4 #5Odor from car air Intensity 2-3 2-3 2-3 2-3 3-4 conditionerCharacteristic Sour Leather/ Sour/ Sour/ Sour odor odor sour plasticplastic odor odor odor Sour odor Intensity 1-2 2-3 1-2 1-2 2-3composition Characteristic Sour Sour Sour/ Sour/ Sour odor prepared fromplastic plastic detected odor odor odor odor compounds Note IntensityDifferent Similar Different Different Different Characteristic SimilarSimilar Similar Similar Similar

The features and advantages of the present disclosure may be summarizedas follows.

(i) Through the analysis method of the present invention, the compoundscontributing to the sour odor from an air conditioner may be identifiedand quantified.

(ii) The sour odor may be reproduced from a combination of the compoundsidentified by the analysis method of the present invention.

(iii) The reproduced sour odor may provide meaningful data required fordevelopment of an apparatus and a method for removing specific odor.

The present invention has been described in detail with reference tospecific embodiments thereof. However, it will be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made inthese embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit ofthe invention, the scope of which is defined in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A detected sour odor composition from an air conditioner comprising one or more compounds selected from a group consisting of ammonia, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, toluene, xylene and methyl ethyl ketone.
 2. A detected sour odor composition from an air conditioner comprising ammonia, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, toluene, xylene and methyl ethyl ketone.
 3. The detected sour odor composition from an air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising: 0.1-2 ppm of ammonia; 0.002-0.1 ppm of acetaldehyde; 0.0001-0.1 ppm of propionaldehyde; 0.0003-0.03 ppm of n-butyraldehyde; 0.03-30 ppm of toluene; 0.001-2 ppm of xylene; and 0.003-7 ppm of methyl ethyl ketone.
 4. The detected sour odor composition from an air conditioner according to claim 2, further comprising one or more compounds selected from a group consisting of formaldehyde, hexane, N-phenylbenzenamine, phenol, 2-phenyl-2propanol, benzene and benzothiazole.
 5. The detected sour odor composition from an air conditioner according to claim 4, further comprising: 0.00002-0.009 ppm of formaldehyde; 0.007-0.04 ppm of hexane; 0.001-0.4 ppm of N-phenylbenzenamine; 0.003-0.6 ppm of phenol; 0.001-0.2 ppm of 2-phenyl-2propanol; 0.001-0.2 ppm of benzene; and 0.001-0.1 ppm of benzothiazole.
 6. A method for analyzing compounds contributing to a sour odor from an air conditioner, comprising: collecting a gas emitted from an air conditioner; and analyzing components of the gas.
 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the air conditioner is an automobile air conditioner.
 8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the gas comprises: ammonia, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, toluene, xylene and methyl ethyl ketone.
 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the concentration of the ammonia, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, toluene, xylene and methyl ethyl ketone is measured.
 10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the analysis of the components is performed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, gas chromatography with atomic emission detector, gas chromatography/flame ionization detection/olfactometry or high-performance liquid chromatography.
 11. A method for preparing a detected sour odor composition from an air conditioner, comprising: mixing one or more compounds selected from a group consisting of: ammonia, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, toluene, xylene and methyl ethyl ketone.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the detected sour odor composition from the air conditioner further comprises: 0.1-2 ppm of ammonia; 0.002-0.1 ppm of acetaldehyde; 0.0001-0.1 ppm of propionaldehyde; 0.0003-0.03 ppm of n-butyraldehyde; 0.03-30 ppm of toluene; 0.001-2 ppm of xylene; and 0.003-7 ppm of methyl ethyl ketone.
 13. A method for preparing a detected sour odor composition from an air conditioner, comprising: mixing two or more compounds selected from a group consisting of: ammonia, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, toluene, xylene and methyl ethyl ketone.
 14. A method for preparing a detected sour odor composition from an air conditioner, comprising: mixing ammonia, acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, n-butyraldehyde, toluene, xylene and methyl ethyl ketone.
 15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising mixing: 0.1-2 ppm of ammonia; 0.002-0.1 ppm of acetaldehyde; 0.0001-0.1 ppm of propionaldehyde; 0.0003-0.03 ppm of n-butyraldehyde; 0.03-30 ppm of toluene; 0.001-2 ppm of xylene; and 0.003-7 ppm of methyl ethyl ketone.
 16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: mixing one or more compounds selected from a group consisting of formaldehyde, hexane, N-phenylbenzenamine, phenol, 2-phenyl-2propanol, benzene and benzothiazole.
 17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising mixing: 0.00002-0.009 ppm of formaldehyde; 0.007-0.04 ppm of hexane; 0.001-0.4 ppm of N-phenylbenzenamine; 0.003-0.6 ppm of phenol; 0.001-0.2 ppm of 2-phenyl-2propanol; 0.001-0.2 ppm of benzene; and 0.001-0.1 ppm of benzothiazole. 